1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of storing results of document image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, networks such as the Internet are widely spread, and thus documents are often electronically distributed; however, paper on which an electronic document is printed is frequently distributed. Technologies have been considered that can acquire, even when a paper document is only available, the contents of the paper document from the paper as reusable data. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H11-167532 (1999), there is disclosed a technology in which a document image is transmitted from a terminal to a server, and in which the data of the document image recognized on the server is converted into a reusable format and is transmitted back to the terminal. Moreover, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-346137, there is disclosed a technology in which a document image is divided into regions corresponding to the type of object, and in which data can be individually output.
When a document image generated by scanning a paper document is converted into an electronic document, a data format which a user desires to reuse is different depending on the circumstances, but it is desirable for objects of the document image to be so arranged that the user easily utilizes the individual objects. For example, for a user who desires to edit and use, as a table, a table in a document image, it is desirable for the table to be so arranged on an electronic document that the table can be edited as a table object. For a user who desires to reprint a table and use the table as a paper document, it is desirable for the table to be arranged such that visual information such as table lines is reproduced according to the document image as accurately as possible. The table lines of the document image may however fail to be completely reproduced, depending on the specifications of the format of an electronic document, when a table on an image is converted into a table object. In order for the visual information of a table to be reproduced, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-346137 or the like can be used to draw the table as a vector object; however, in this way, it is impossible for the user to edit the table as a table, for example, it is impossible to add or remove a row. As described above, the specification of an optimal format is different depending on purposes in cases such as where the user desires to edit the table as a table and when the user desires to print or display a table to use it. Hence, it is difficult to generate an electronic document in a format specification that is optimal for many purposes of the electronic document.